CruiseMates recently ran an article by its editor Paul Motter entitled "Most Ridiculous Cruise Ship Lawsuits." One of the lawsuits was filed by a 50 year old lady passenger aboard a P&O cruise ship who attended a talent show dressed in a leopard skin dress who sang a Tina Turner song River Deep Mountain High.

One of the P&O judges, entertainer Rory Healey, allegedly told her he could see her underwear through her dress, commented on her breasts and suggested she could "cougar" him any time.

Her husband said that Mr. Healey then touched the screen showing her image, fondling and kissing the screen image of her breasts. Read more here.

CruiseMates editor Motter mocked the woman and labeled her lawsuit as "ridiculous."

Well, I haven't commented on this sorry state of affairs yet, but here are my thoughts:

This happened on a P&O cruise ship. When it comes to sexual harassment and crimes against women, P&O Cruises has a nasty history.

When I started this blog several years ago, one of the first articles I wrote was about a P&O cruise passenger, Dianne Brimble. A gang of eight slipped her a date rape drug. Ms. Brimble ended up raped and dead, naked on the floor of a cabin occupied by the men who joked afterwards that she had the breath of a dog and they thought about throwing her overboard.

P&O responded to the horrific incident in a manner that i would describe as somewhere between callous and outrageous. Eventually P&O promised to mend its way and clean up its over-the-top fraternity party attitude where women and booze are just part of the cruise fun.

But did it really clean up its act?

P&O quickly pimped out their female passengers, with a sexist "Seamen Wanted" promotional postcard, depicting a deck full of women wearing bikinis, accompanied by a tag line "More girls, more sun, more fun. There's nothing else a guy needs to know."

No wonder that P&O Cruises experienced sexual assaults in the years following this disastrous ad campaign.

So when I read about Mr. Motter giggling about women's underwear and the foolish P&O crew member's not-so-funny comments about "cougar" women, I can't help to think what a sad state of affairs remains on the P&O cruise ships for this nonsense to be going on. A P&O crew member groping and kissing an image of a cruise passenger's breasts?

Mr. Healey needs to be sacked ASAP. He needs to be made an example of sexism run wild.

And that goes for CruiseMates' editor, Mr.Motter. He needs to be canned too.

Dianne Brimble's family deserves nothing less.

Update:

After posting this article, I received a number of emails blasting me for wriiting about this cruise employee. It seems there is a facebook page called "Save Rory" trying to keep him employed. I could not find the facebook page but ran across this photo of Rory on facebook.

Seems like he posted a photo of himself, a cardboard cut-out of Jennister Anniston in the urinals. Funny? I don't think so, but let's see what P&O thinks. The cruise line defense lawyers may want to instruct Rory to take his facebook page down during the pendency of the lawsuit . . .

Hi Jim... do you even know the difference between an "article" and a "forum post"? Or do you just want to blur the facts and say I wrote "an article" about this which makes you nothing more than a liar.

All I did was post a forum link to another story which shows the complete act by the woman in question on video and proves that she was the first one to call herself a "cougar" - not the P&O staffmember.

I did not mock the woman at all, I just pointed out that her still non-litigated lawsuit is ridiculous based on the fact that she led his comments - they didn't just pop out of him unprovoked. I would think you understand the concept of "leading a witness" - maybe not.

And this case has nothing to do with the now 8 year old Diane Brimble case.

So, you lie and try to infer guilt through the weakest "evidence" and mischaracterizations possible.

You modus operandus sadly clear - "guilt" by association and putting words in people's mouths. A typical loser of a lawyer (if you practice law the smae way you act in public I can't imagine you are even remotely successful). How is your practice these days? Does trolling for business on Twitter help that much?

Man oh man - you are a tired individual, Walker. I feel sorry for having nothing better to do all day than make up lies about people like me - even I don't care about me as much as you seem to - why do think complete strangers care?

concerned -
August 31, 2012 12:12 AM

Mr. Motter, remember there is no statute of limitations on murder and Ms. Brimble's family and friends do not need you writing off her case just because it is 8 years old. I came across this site by chance but when I book my next cruise, I know what cruise line I will NOT be using.

Yes, business is booming, thanks for asking. We've obtained the highest recovery in arbitration for a seriously injured crew member and the highest recovery for a passenger sexually assaulted on a cruise ship (both record legal awards against cruise lines) while attending seven Congressional hearings representing passengers in an effort to improve cruise safety.

I'm sure you have not forgotten your article for Fox News where you refer to me as a "Prominent Private Practice Maritime Attorney." (Thanks again for that compliment!)

Regarding your insults above, believe it or not, I enjoy reading your comments. The motto of my blog is "everything the cruise lines don't want you to know." When I expose the truth, you say what most cruise executives think but are afraid to say. Your misogynous perspective pretty much sums up how many in the cruise industry view women. You very effectively reveal how cruise lines think and act.

I hope you enjoy reading my blog as much as I enjoy hearing from you.

Jim Walker

rhonda -
August 31, 2012 12:33 PM

I Care..Paul motter, as well as so many other women. A lot of nasty drinking so called men on cruise ships need to be held accountable for their actions. Your reply to Jim seems angry towards him for something done to a helpless victim. Prayer for you MIGHT help but I doubt it.

Dyna -
August 31, 2012 6:03 PM

Mr Motter,what a low profile and prominent man you are
i believe you have a mother ...
Why such view of woman ?

To anyone who doubts my sincerity concerning real victims of bad things that happen on cruise ships, please feel free to email personally and I will send you links to articles I have written openly discussing the topic of suicide on cruise ships and why depressed people should not cruise anymore than they should have a gun in the house. I will also include letters from patients of depression thanking me for saving their lives.

It is not my fault or in my control that Jim Walker wrongly chooses to take my words out of context as paint me as a villian.

My forum posting did not MOCK the woman, it called $1,000,000 lawsuit for "slander" on a cruise ship stage "ridiculous" when the "cruise victim" herself was leading the conversation and said the word "couger" (is that really a $1,000,000 word?) in reference to herself before the accused did. he was going to say "tiger."

If you think such lawsuits have merit then I only feel sorry for and will pray for you. When lawyers make money by bleeding the corporations over meaningless events it just means everything we want to buy costs more. That may be the world you want to live in, but I don't.

You are the first one in the cruise industry to call every overboard a "suicide" even when there are clear signs of foul play. It is very hurtful to the grieving families.

Your business is promoting and selling cruises. Today you tweeted "six tips to save $$$ on your next cruise" seventeen (17) times for goodness sake.

Cruise lines collect $35,000,000,000 (billion) a year and pay no U.S. income tax by incorporating in places like Liberia and Panama and flying flags of foreign countries. They avoid U.S. taxes of around $10,000,000,000 (billion) by registering their cruise ships in Bermuda and the Bahamas.

That's the world you live in.

Janet Powers -
September 7, 2012 3:19 AM

Jim Walker is a caring, compassionate man that deals with the trauma and tragedy on a daily basis. For him it's not a joke. He deals with victims daily, and he is a cleass act.
Thank you Jim, for trying to make a difference!

Inquisitive Girl -
September 30, 2012 11:11 AM

Mr. Walker,

I used to work for a cruise line and many of my friends still do. I can sincerely say that many crewmember overboard "incidents" are really suicides. Everyone onboard knows it. Sometimes I think families have a hard time coping with that idea. I don't mean to be disrespectful to the families or you, but it really does happen.

Thank you.

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